Why was Telly Savalas left index finger deformed?

What we found is that Telly Savalas was born with a minor physical handicap in that his left index finger was deformed.

This deformed digit was often indicated on screen; Kojak episode "Conspiracy of Fear" in which a close-up of Savalas holding his chin in his hand clearly shows the permanently bent finger.

Telly Savalas was an American actor born on January 21, 1922, in Garden City, New York. In the 1950s, Savalas gained production experience on ABC radio’s Voice of America and then became the executive producer of his own award-winning talk show, Telly's Coffee House. Often casted as a villain, in 1962 Savalas earned an Oscar nomination for Birdman of Alcatraz.

One of his more popular roles was playing a New York City detective in the hit TV series Kojak (1973-'78). After the show ended, Savalas continued to act in smaller roles in television and film. He died on January 22, 1994, in Universal City, California.

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